CNMI, Guam coaches go through 1st ever NMIFA ‘B’ coaching course

The 10 coaches from the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, including two from the Guam Football Association, are joined by head instructor NMIFA technical director Michiteru Mita, seated third from left, Chelsea FC Soccer School coach Jimmy Tang, seated right, and AFC/JFA coach Takeshi Ono, third from right. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Ten coaches from the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, including two from the Guam Football Association, completed Module 1 of NMIFA’s first ever B Coaching Diploma Course at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. 

The course is divided into four modules, with Module 1 from July 6 to July 11.

The next three are from Aug. 8 to 14, 2023; from Dec. 6 to 12, 2023; and from Jan. 15 to 21, 2024.

Christy Villaflor, Russ Zapanta, Ronel Ocanada, Jireh Yobech, Mikky Vargas, Davy Laxa, Chris Aninzo, and Martin Jambor are the coaches from the CNMI.

NMIFA technical director and head coach Michiteru Mita is the main instructor for the course, while Asian Football Confederation and Japan Football Association’s Takeshi Ono and Yasuhiko Kimura assisted in the first module of the course.

All modules will have coaches attend classroom discussions and practical sessions on the pitch. 

Day 1 last Thursday was the introduction and course guidance, along with game analysis. Before the course started, an opening ceremony was held, with NMIFA president Jerry Tan making a few remarks.

Tan said, “This course is a significant undertaking for the NMIFA, as we fully recognize coaching as a critical component of our program. It is through the dedication and commitment of our coaches that we are able to develop players and continue to grow our program.”

He added, “The NMIFA fully supports initiatives and programs that are aimed at providing our coaches the opportunity to raise their skill level, gain more knowledge and experience, and create a pathway to an advanced coaching career and education.”

He then wished them good luck and thanked partners Asian Football Confederation, Japan Football Association, and head coach Mita for making the first ever NMIFA B Coaching Diploma Course happen.

As for Mita, he said that having this coaching training is important for player development. He said JFA’s success is because of focus on youth development and coaching and that’s what’s trying to be emulated in the CNMI. 

“Qualified and quality coaches support [the] development of players,” he said.

Mita said that a football association follows the Asian Football Confederation standards as members of the AFC. Under the AFC coaching convention established in 2019, a football association must design its coaching course following the criteria of the AFC coach convention and with AFC’s approval.

After NMIFA’a approval of conducting the B coaching course, NMIFA was finally able to conduct their first ever B coaching course.

Mita said that the AFC sent coaching course assessor Kimura from the AFC coach education panel and not only observed the course but also gave the NMIFA a lot of advice. 

“With everyone’s support we managed to conduct a B coaching course last week. 

Last year under Ono and two NMIFA coaches—Mae Ito and Jershwin Angeles—attended the B coaching course.